If you’re a business leader but feel more like a schoolteacher, you’re doing something wrong.

When an employee comes to you with a question, it may seem counterproductive to tell him to figure it out on his own, but sometimes that’s the best thing a leader can do. If you hand out all the answers, you’re only promoting one perspective — yours — and innovation doesn’t come from people simply following directions; it comes from motivated, free-thinking individuals.

In this article, Matthew Gordon discusses strategies leaders can use to empower employees to think independently.

This time last year, I promised myself that I would be back competing at a high level in swimming again. I kept that promise, and I plan to compete at the international level this December.

I was recently featured in a press release on PRWeb about my achievements in competitive swimming. I believe it’s important to take a breath and recognize achievements before moving on to the next goal, so I want to express my appreciation for being able to celebrate these milestones and illuminate one of our core values at Gordon Group: Anything is possible.

If you take the time and effort to gain a mental edge, you can accomplish anything.

You just need determination.

Training and competing have been part of my life since I was a young boy. I started off diving, and at 10, my coach thought I should switch to swimming. I was reluctant because I knew how intense swim practice would be, but the coach needed another body in the pool, so I agreed.

Just a few years later, I placed first in New York state competitions and went on to set a Division I record at Iona College that still stands today. I even traveled to Illinois to train with a coach who brings athletes to the Olympics.

Throughout the next 30 years, I kept training even though I wasn’t competing. I added yoga and triathlons into the mix. Yoga taught me mindfulness, and training for triathlons gave me tenacity. Both of these attributes made me mentally strong and gave me the prolonged determination and energy to come back to competitive swimming with vigor.

One thing I’ve realized is that once you get to a high level in swimming, your opponents are just as skilled and talented as you. In sports — and in business — you’re actually playing two games at once: one against your competitors and one against yourself.

The hardest battle is always the mental one.

If you can’t win the mental game, you don’t have a chance of winning against your competitors.

My most challenging days are the days when I just don’t want to go out and run 20 miles — when it’s raining or snowing or I’ve got a schedule packed with meetings. These are the days that separate the champions from the rest of the pack.

Take the example of Roald Amundsen, who competed against Robert Falcon Scott in the race to be the first man to reach the South Pole. Amundsen’s expedition was years in the making. He spent months living with indigenous populations, acquiring sled dogs and supplies, and planning the route. Scott spent relatively little time preparing but had motorized sleds and only progressed in fair weather. Unsurprisingly, it was Amundsen who reached the target on schedule by setting daily goals and making slow, steady progress.

If you’re able to go out and train every day consistently, then you have the mental edge you need to succeed. This is exactly what I found and what Gordon Group prides itself on.

Consistency doesn’t mean not pushing yourself, though. Once you reach a certain level, you have to expect that there will be no more “easy days.” In business and in swimming, if you’re having an easy day, you’re not competing hard enough. You have to put in everything you have if you want to win. If you can tell yourself every day to keep going and push harder to get to the next level, then you can win the mental game.

What are your secrets to staying consistent and maintaining determination as you work toward your goals?

How much of your day is actually devoted to leading? Of course you’re a “leader,” but are you actually leading, or are you just managing?

Leadership is about more than just a title. It’s about believing in and establishing an overarching vision for an entire company. But many leaders get bogged down in their daily managerial duties and don’t leave enough time to strategize and communicate the company’s long-term vision.

In this article, Matthew Gordon describes the difference between managers and leaders and provides tips to help you develop a balanced leadership-to-management ratio.

For years, employers and employees have accepted a universal mantra: “No fraternizing with the help.”

Millennials are challenging that norm. But that’s OK, and experts agree.

Now, bosses, we just need to get you on board. You’ll quickly discover that being buds with young, talented employees has the potential to boost productivity, improve retention, and make everyone in the workplace happier.

A Friendship Crisis

Traditionally, jobs were perceived as something that paid the bills. In fact, workers weren’t really supposed to like their bosses. Friendships between managers and employees suggested favoritism.

However, Millennials have grown up in a more connected world. Their parents, teachers, and other superiors double as Facebook friends. They no longer have the veil of privacy that past generations experienced.

Older generations need to understand that Millennials want to connect with colleagues on social platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. But Millennials should equally understand that older managers usually aren’t as comfortable with that.

Perhaps you should rethink rejecting that friend request and seek opportunities to be more social with your employees.

What Millennials Are Looking For

It’s simple: Millennials want to make friends at work. So if your company’s culture doesn’t match their social expectations, you could lose some of your best talent. Consider these three questions that Millennials ask themselves when evaluating employers:

What is the company culture like? If the culture doesn’t personally resonate with the Millennial employee, he’s probably going to move on to another company.

Does the company have an accelerated advancement program? Many Millennials see themselves getting several promotions a year, so they’re probably not going to want to work at a company that’s had the same boss for 10 years, much less pursue a friendship with him.

What are the boss’ interests? If the potential employee has similar interests to the employer, he will be more likely to want to work at that company and pursue a friendship with the employer.

While knowing what Millennials are looking for is great, it’s important to understand why the friendships that Millennials seek matter in the first place — and how to make sure those friendships don’t cross the line.

Setting Realistic Boundaries

Keeping home and work life separate is more difficult than in the past.

Employees who feel their workplace is a positive and social environment are usually happier and more successful. “The question isn’t really should we mix friends and work,” said Alia McKee. “That’s inevitable. The question is how do we get it right.”

While being friends with employees has its benefits, there are also risks to watch out for, such as romantic interests. So setting clear, firm, and realistic boundaries is vital to striking a successful work/friendship balance with employees.

Separate the lines of being a boss and a friend. Have frank discussions with employees about which behaviors are unacceptable.

Keep the relationship on a friendship level. Nothing destroys the work/friendship balance more than throwing a romantic interest into the mix.

Stay out of finances. Sure, you know how much your employees make, but that doesn’t mean you should tell them how to spend it.

Keep the booze to a minimum. Happy hour might seem like the perfect after-work social activity, but things can go downhill fast when too much alcohol is involved.

Good bosses understand that there’s a time to be a leader and a time to be a friend. They set the direction for the friendship and make sure employees are on the same page.

Millennials probably spend more time at the office than with their spouse, partner, roommates, or kids, so they want their workplace to be a home away from home. Knowing they’re going to interact with friends at work will make them more motivated to go (and stay) there.

Are you friends with your employees? If so, how does that affect the way you interact with them? If not, why not?

Murphy’s Law suggests, “Anything that can go wrong will.” Buy a house, the furnace goes out. Buy a car, the starter goes out. You name it, there’s always something that can go wrong. And it probably will.

But that doesn’t mean that we should avoid failure by not taking chances. Instead, it means that we should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Anything that can go wrong probably will, but we’ll be ready for it.

Anything That Can Go Wrong Is Laughable

Murphy’s Law doesn’t know any strangers. Every scenario has the potential for a downhill spiral.

In my business, we often find issues with inventory when planning for graduation season. We may decide one year to manufacture less of a certain color gown that’s been historically unpopular. Of course, that turns out to be the year everyone orders that color, leading to a rush of manufacturing. This type of hiccup is what we call a “black swan.”

Knowing we’re bound to come across the occasional black swan, we find it helpful to laugh at ourselves. Humor and planning are the keys to turning a catastrophe into a triumph.

Anything That Can Go Wrong Can Be Avoided

Although being able to laugh at yourself is important, you also need to know how to avoid falling victim to Murphy’s Law in the first place. If you implement rules to avoid black swans, they can:

Use humor to illustrate potential hiccups in your business.

Remind your employees to be well-prepared for black swans.

Keep potential issues top-of-mind.

Deflect negativity when problems arise.

Accidents happen, and mistakes are made, but your success depends on your ability to stay positive and effectively react to issues as they arise.

Preparing for Anything That Can Go Wrong

Now that we’ve established that rules should be embraced, here are a few “Matthew’s Laws” to help you survive Murphy’s Law:

1. If you’re going to fail, do it early. That way, you learn quickly what not to do in the future. Not to mention, the sooner you fail, the cheaper it is to fix.

2. Always have a backup plan. If you sell a product and order less than you need, you have to be prepared for demand. Consumers tend to want more of a product as soon as you begin producing less of it.

3. Start before you’re ready. Don’t wait for all the stars to align. If you start today, you’ll have a better chance of finishing on time.

4. Move up your due date. Setting a timeframe in this way allows for better efficiency and less procrastination. Murphy’s Law loves procrastinators.

5. Try something new as often as you can. You don’t need to be an expert to complete a project. How do you think people become experts, anyway?

Anything That Can Go Wrong Can Go Right

Thanks to our rules, the culture at Gordon Group has grown substantially. We’ve used Matthew’s Laws to combat Murphy’s Law by:

Creating opportunities. We empower our employees to learn new skills and try new roles. For example, our e-commerce director started as a warehouse worker. We want our employees to explore new areas and experience failure early so they learn their limitations and abilities.

Being flexible. One thing that’s deeply ingrained in our culture is the ability to change a plan at any time. Even if you think you have the perfect production schedule, be ready to change it based on unexpected client demand.

Becoming multipliers. We live by the 80-percent rule. By completing at least 80 percent of each project, we’re able to tackle a larger number of projects. Once we’re at 80 percent completion for all projects, we can take the remaining 20 percent and work on completing 80 percent of that. This process amplifies our production and gives everyone a workable goal.

Look for opportunities to build a culture of black swan-crushing attitudes. Create rules that are fun and memorable. Your rules should protect your business, product, and employees with one goal in mind: to be the best, even at your worst.

Have you encountered any black swans in your business? What rules have you put in place to help your team avoid or successfully overcome them?

Do you ever feel your eyes start to droop in the middle of the workday? Do you slog through the afternoon without getting any real work done?

It’s not your fault. Productivity isn’t constant. It oscillates throughout the day, and it’s nearly impossible to maintain a continuously high level of focus from 9 to 5. To make your team more productive, you should allow some flexibility in the workday so your employees can work when their energy and focus are at their peak.

In this article, Matthew Gordon discusses how to boost your startup’s productivity by encouraging your employees to work when they’re most efficient.

I’ve had my fair share of part-time jobs. Some were fun, some were terrible, and others fell somewhere in between.

When I was still in school, I worked mornings, evenings, and weekends organizing a team of neighborhood kids to help shovel snow and rake leaves. Later, when I was working full-time as a teacher, I flipped houses, tackled remodeling projects, and sold everything under the sun.

While many people view part-time jobs as stopgap measures to make ends meet or to supplement their incomes during college, you can learn many valuable personal and professional lessons from these opportunities that will help define your life.

Part-Time Worker, Full-Time Learner

I learned my first lessons working part-time with my neighborhood clean-up crew and continued to learn new and valuable lessons with each job I tackled:

Hard work doesn’t necessarily mean great pay. My raking and shoveling enterprise quickly taught me that it takes real effort for a kid to shovel piles of snow or rake a big yard clean. I soon realized the value of having employees and being the leader. I could motivate my crew and not end up with aching muscles at the end of the day.

Earning your own money is a good feeling. I liked having my own money so I could buy things without asking my parents to spot me some cash. This reward for jobs well done also encouraged me to practice my financial management skills, a trait I continue to instill in my employees today.

Reward those who work especially hard for you. When I was shoveling snow, I had a client who always gave me a little extra money for the job. Logically, I started shoveling this neighbor’s driveway first! I implement this lesson today by ensuring I always compensate employees for extra effort. Whether it’s a surprise dinner treat or a cash bonus for particularly effective sales work, rewarding extra effort can increase motivation and create a personal connection with those go-getters.

Efficiency rules. During my years as a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, ordering school supplies was always a big pain. It meant dealing with the administration and district and filling out forms in triplicate just to get the necessary supplies for my classroom. Nothing will convince you to commit to running your own (efficient) business faster than dealing with red tape. In my business, we employ a system of getting what you need with as little oversight and paperwork as possible.

You can only make so many personal sales contacts. When I was first selling educational products, I realized I could only shake so many hands. To expand my sales reach, I incorporated telesales to conduct business on an international scale. In addition, my company was one of the first 10,000 businesses worldwide to offer e-commerce options. While personal relationships are the bread and butter of any business, you should always be looking for ways to expand your reach on a national or global scale.

With each part-time job, I gained valuable skills and tools to help me succeed. These experiences also showed me who I was and who I didn’t want to be. It can be almost impossible to figure out what you want to do with your life without first realizing what you don’t want to do.

You need failure. There is no better lesson than failure. I live and breathe the idea that failing fast and failing early is the best education you can get. The more bad ideas you endure, the more likely you are to strike gold with a winner.

While those odd hours and low-paying jobs may not seem like much, they can and will help shape your life. Focus on what you do and how you do it today. You’ll likely use those lessons when you’re in a line of work that truly ignites your passion. Experiences instruct us for the future, even if you’re learning them by the hour.

What odd part-time jobs have you held, and what lessons did you learn?

In just six short years, today’s image of a thriving, functional workplace will make the familiar command-and-control corporate environment look ancient. But if employers don’t prepare to engage Millennials — who are expected to make up 46 percent of the workforce by 2020 — they’ll have little success attracting and retaining top talent.

In this article, Matthew Gordon explains what Millennials expect from a workplace and offers tips for engaging this generation to ensure they stick around.

Many Millennials entered the workforce caught between the challenges of starting a career in a down economy and the expectation that rewards and achievements would come as easily as they had throughout their lives. Millennials are perhaps the most criticized generation of all time, but it’s not because they don’t understand how the “real world” works. It’s because the real world has changed before their eyes.

The good news is that Millennials still believe they can make a difference. They believe in their personal value, and they don’t define success as past generations have. They want a life that is characterized by creativity, social recognition, and personal happiness rather than material things, and they want to build this life on their own terms.

Nearly 60 percent of Millennials consider themselves entrepreneurs, and 71 percent of Millennials with “regular” jobs would prefer to quit and work for themselves. Unlike their contemporaries, money is not the primary motivator; rather, it’s the freedom to be their own boss and choose projects that bring them happiness and personal recognition.

To Millennials, DIY Success Is Creative

Three years ago, 26-year-old Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz became the youngest self-made billionaire. He earned his success by revolutionizing an already revolutionary technology: the Internet.

Millennial entrepreneurs like Moskovitz would much rather risk a new path than settle for the traditional route. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fit it” no longer applies. Millennials are a maker generation — and they want to make their mark on the world.

They also want to feel unique. They want to have their own personal style, they seek to be different, and they want to be recognized by others for the value that they alone can provide. Millennials’ work satisfaction is directly tied to these feelings of uniqueness.

You can redefine success for yourself by drawing out your most unique qualities and asking, “During what percentage of my day am I using these qualities?”

If you find that you’re not utilizing your unique qualities enough, incorporate them into more of your day-to-day tasks. You’ll see an improvement in your creativity and feel more fulfilled by what you do.

DIY Success Is Social

Millennials also value recognition. In 2012, South Korean pop star Psy broke the all-time record for most views on YouTube. His music video, “Gangnam Style,” has been viewed more than 1.9 billion times. That’s a kind of social currency that simply didn’t exist 10 years ago. Even today, 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s a lot of people seeking recognition from their peers.

However, social values go beyond “likes” and retweets. The Millennial entrepreneurs I interact with value team success over individual success. In short, they want to hang out with people who bring positive energy into their lives. They focus on not only hiring candidates who are highly qualified, but also on hiring those who will enhance company culture and make the office a better place to be every day.

To feel more “social” success, make a list of people you want to associate yourself with. Then, make a list of people you don’t want to be associated with. Remove the latter group of people from your life. If they work at your company, it may be time to ask yourself why.

DIY Success Is About Being Happy

The popularity of books like “The 4-Hour Workweek” reveals that Millennials are willing to “hack” their way to happiness. The old suits-in-summer business traditions are headed out the door. Millennial entrepreneurs are looking to create relaxed business cultures.

A happy, balanced life does not happen by accident — especially for an ambitious entrepreneur. If you aren’t doing what you’re passionate about, you will burn out fast.

List your top 10 passions, and rank them from the ones you’re most passionate about to least. Take your top passion, and set a specific goal. Remind yourself of your true passions on a regular basis, and make sure your time and energy are going into what you care about most.

Just because your vision of success might not include a dollar sign at the top doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a concrete, detailed plan. Internalize your vision of success, identify the necessary steps to get there, and break those steps down into quarters, months, weeks, and days.

Once you’ve developed a plan, you can set that plan into motion. By following your passions, surrounding yourself with people who make you better, and utilizing your unique strengths every day, you’ll feel more fulfilled by your business and, ultimately, be more successful.

The motto in traditional corporate culture is “Move up or move out,” but the career landscape is changing. While previous generations entered the workforce planning to keep one job their entire lives, more than 90 percent of Millennials will keep a job for just three years.

This new environment means job seekers need a new strategy: lateral movement.

Rather than moving up incrementally in one department (i.e., climbing the ladder), lateral movement within a company gives you firsthand experience in many departments, which makes you a more marketable hire and a more effective worker.

Why You Should Move Over Before You Move Up

Today, gaining a wide range of experiences is critical if you want to move into higher-level positions. Here are some advantages to getting experience in different departments:

1. You’ll develop a good track record. Excelling in diverse positions shows management that you’re capable of handling whatever is thrown at you. When the opportunity for leadership arises, you’ll have a history of success at the company and lots of people who can vouch for you.

2. You’ll show employers you’re flexible. Lateral movement impresses employers because it shows you’re willing to do what it takes to help the company and work outside your comfort zone.

3. You’ll develop a diverse skillset. Moving laterally helps you build skills you might need in the future. A variety of experiences also diversifies your professional portfolio and prepares you for possible career changes. You never know when your dream job will pop up, and your experience might be just the “something extra” employers are looking for.

4. You’ll see the bigger picture in your industry. Working in diverse departments gives you a bird’s-eye view of your company and your field. You’ll see how decisions affect every sector of the business and how each department connects.

Personal Barriers to Lateral Movement

Despite the advantages of lateral movement, you might still be unwilling to give a different department a try. Here are three common personal barriers to embracing lateral movement and how you can overcome them.

1. You’re afraid of failing. It can be frightening to step off the ladder, knowing you could lose everything you’ve worked for if you fail in your new role.

Solution: Seek someone you admire — inside or outside your company — who can give advice about your new role. A mentor can help you avoid pitfalls, recover quickly from mistakes, and plan how to move forward in your career.

2. You’re lazy. It’s normal to feel a sense of laziness when it comes to taking on new tasks. But laziness is usually only masking boredom or a lack of motivation.

Solution: Find your passion.Combating laziness means finding something that will light a fire under you. If you’re already employed and have some vacation days saved up, why not take a “workcation” and focus on exploring your passions for a week or two?

3. You want something more prestigious more quickly. Some people want to climb the ladder quickly for a better title and a better salary. They long for the status and pride that comes from achieving a high position. Putting time and effort into moving laterally doesn’t seem like it will pay off quickly enough.

Solution:Change your perspective toadopt long-term thinking.Understand that without learning about every area of the business, you’re less likely to succeed in future leadership positions. Consider lateral movement an investment in your career — building experiences and skills that will prepare you for your dream job.

While climbing the ladder may seem easier, think of it this way: Ladder-climbing gives you tunnel vision, while lateral movement allows you to see the bigger picture. Besides, what’s the fun in climbing a ladder that never ends when you could explore every avenue of your company and find your passion instead?